This stew is the perfect dish to offer a mixed crowd of vegetarian, vegan and carnivorous dinner guests. The recipe is 100% vegan, but it's so hearty, savory, rich and delicious that, no matter what dietary choices your guests embrace, everyone will think you made it just for them!
Ingredients:
1 pound extra firm regular tofu, frozen, then thawed (this dramatically changes the texture from soft and squishy to firm and spongy in a very "meat-like" way)
1 large onion, chopped
4 cups vegetable broth (I use 4 cups warm water in which 4 Magi brand vegetable bouillon cubes are thoroughly dissolved)
5 tablespoons vegan Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 large carrots, cut however you prefer carrots for stew. I cut them into 1/2 inch thick chunky disks.
4 potatoes, peeled and cut "stew style," whatever that means to you!
1 large tomato, seeded and diced
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon dried basil
3 tablespoons margarine
5 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with water till all the lumps are gone
Directions:
The Tofu:
1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees F.
2. Drain the water from the thawed tofu. Cut the tofu into slices and squeeze more water out.
3. Cut the slices into "stew-style" chunks (however big or small that is in your ideal of the perfect "beef stew") and place in the oven on an ungreased cookie sheet. Check the tofu about every 10-15 minutes, and pull it out before it actually browns. The goal here is to dry the chunks out as much as possible without burning them. When they're just right, they should have roughly the consistency of croutons.
The Stew:
1. Place all ingredients in the slow cooker. Stir well, and cook on high for 3 hours.
2. Stir the stew thoroughly. Replace lid and cook on low for another 5 hours. The stew is ready when it is thick and brown.